Saturday, October 29, 2011

York PC 112: The Republican Claim To Strength On National Security Couldn't Be Farther From The Truth...

When you look at the history of wars, the biggie, the great-grandaddy of them all, World War Two, was won by the Allies mostly because the United States had a vast industrial manufacturing capacity that was untouched by enemy weapons. In the long-term, it was the capacity for sustained manufacture of the weapons of war to supply our troops and sailors while denying those supplies to the Axis powers that carried the day.

I know it's an old wound, but in the U.S. Civil War, the North was industrial and the South agrarian.

Without a continuous supply of ammunition and weapons, no country can long defend itself.

With the so-called "free trade" deals that were driven largely by Republicans, but supported by Key Democrats, we have managed to destroy the majority of the manufacturing industry in the U.S. The factories that were hurriedly converted to making war material in WW II are now either razed, or empty hollow shells in most cases.

Now, we have Chinese chips in the critical electronic systems of American fighter jets. We IMPORT bullets for our troops. Our most sophisticated weapons are reliant on parts made in foreign countries.

It isn't just jobs being exported, it is also the American capacity for sustained self-defense. Work that used to be done by American soldiers is now done by contractors, some of them foreigners.

How is this being strong on national security? Why is the left in this country allowing the right to claim the "strong on defense" mantle without challenging on this issue? I have yet to hear a progressive/left radio show or TV show speak bluntly on this issue.

Between the export of jobs and the export of security, the crushing of hope and the callousness of heart, there is no worse thing than the crooked, twisted, and cruel radical "modern Republican" plan for the United States. It is bankrupt of vision, it is bankrupt of compassion, and it is based on deception. Nothing could be further from the path we need to find a bright and rewarding future.

All the best, if you work and vote for it,

Dan

Thursday, October 13, 2011

"Indignant" Protests To Span 71 Countries & Over 700 Cities 10/15/2011

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/10/13/indignant-protests-to-sweep-across-world/

Protests along very similar lines and in sympathy with Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Chicago are set to sweep the planet...

All the best, if you work and vote for it,

Dan

Robert Reich: The 7 Biggest "Conservative" Economic Lies

York PC 112: Aurora, IL Gets Occupied

A new Occupy Together group for Aurora is forming.

Information can be found here: http://www.meetup.com/occupytogether/Aurora-IL/?facebook_share=1

All the best, if you work and vote for it,

Dan

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

york PC 112: The Occupation Just Keeps On Growing - And The Evil Just Keep On Freaking

Truthout.org - "Why The Elites Are In Trouble"

Rawstory.com - "Thousands Of Protesters Flood The Streets Of Chicago"

-----------------------------------------------

What I like is the over-arching sense of caring for each other that is engendered in these protests. There are people from every race and walk of life pulling together. I've said for years that the United States has a unique opportunity in that it has one of, if not the most diverse groups of people and cultural inclusions on the planet. Now these people in protests across the country are proving that it is possible to bring them all together into a community and working for a positive future that no one needs to be left out of, should they choose to pitch in and work for it. It's a thing of great beauty, and far greater currency than anything that will ever be printed on paper or stamped on a coin.

Greed is not a sustainable position. Capitalism as we know it - corporatism in control of the State, the textbook definition of fascism - is consuming ever more natural resources with no concern for environmental degradation and damage. It is heavily-invested in the status-quo by it's motive to keep costs extremely low and to wring every dime it can out of existing infrastructure in the name of short-term profits. It's very nature is stifling the clean innovation that could save us.

The old Bell telephone networks were a microcosm of what  the entire modern economy has become - a dinosaur that moved slowly and sluggishly toward the future. Once they were broken up, innovation went on at an extremely rapid pace because there was actual competition in the industry. The modern American economy is rife with monopolistic consolidation of critical economic sectors such as food production, banking, insurance, and other areas.

The "structure" forming in the Occupy movement is far more transparent and democratic, and it makes it possible for everyone to be heard and their ideas considered - and their needs considered and cared for to the best of the ability of the entire group.

I wish only the best for the protesters and the movement they are a part of. My heart is with them, and their goals are worthy.

All the best if you vote and work for it,

Dan

york PC 112: Ed Schultz Show On "Occupy Chicago" And Occupy Wall Street Protests...

Take a good listen, because Big Eddie makes an awful lot of sense:



All the best, if you vote and work for it,

Dan

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Support the Occupy Wall Street Protesters

-----Original Message-----
From: Jonathan Bletzer
Sent: October 08, 2011 10:42 AM
Subject: Support the Occupy Wall Street Protesters

Dear Friends and Family,

Not a single banker has gone to jail for crimes that led to the financial meltdown. But now over 1,000 protesters have been arrested in the inspiring Occupy Wall Street protest in New York City.

The occupation of Wall Street has inspired a nationwide movement in the spirit of Wisconsin.

But there has been a powerful backlash against peaceful protesters who are using both their right to public assembly and tactics of nonviolent civil disobedience to call attention to the fact that our government has bailed out the wealthiest Americans but has done little to help middle and working class Americans who have lost their jobs and had their homes foreclosed on.

The protest is building momentum with solidarity marches that CREDO members, progressive organizations and labor have joined. However the very existence of Occupy Wall Street could be endangered by strong-arm NYPD tactics aimed at intimidating protesters and ending their three week stand against the big Wall Street banks.

I told Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly to respect the Occupy Wall Street protesters' constitutional right to peaceful assembly. You can, too, at the link below.
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/occupy_ws/?r_by=28382-2641578-bqUEEbx&rc=paste1


Jon B.

"Dissent is the highest form of Patriotism" - Thomas Jefferson

York PC 112: Occupy Chicago Continues - Video






All the best, if you work and vote for it,

Dan

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

York PC 112: Occupy Chicago Enters 11th Day...

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/10/03/occupy-chicago-enters-eleventh-day-of-protest/

See the story and video at the link above. Please find ways to support our brothers and sisters trying to promote our future.

All the best, if you work and vote for it.

Dan

Monday, October 3, 2011

FW: American Autumn?

The national campaign to Abolish Corporate Personhood and Defend Democracy.
 

Sign the Petition: http://MoveToAmend.org/motion-to-amend
 

* * *
In Solidarity with Occupy Wall Street...

Dear friend,


Move to Amend heartily supports Occupy Wall Street, the best thing to happen since the Wisconsin protest wave began! It warms our hearts to see the occupation growing steadily, and sparking occupations and protests in cities across the nation.


We've known for quite a while that most Americans are with us in our fight against corporate personhood. 
The problem has been reaching them and getting them to act. The young people who started Occupy Wall Street
have touched a nerve that has ignited others and we say, "Way to go!"


Pundits have complained there are no formal demands. These savvy folks formed a general assembly to make
decisions through consensus.  In just two weeks, the occupation's general assembly released this draft declaration.


Who knows what October will bring, but it looks pretty good for our side!


Occupy Wall Street is growing an and spreading, and this Thursday, and the long-planned October 2011 occupation of Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC begins.You can bet the corporate powers in league with broken government and the mainstream media will do everything in their power to quash the revolt. We can't let that happen.


If you live anywhere near any of these protests and occupations, please get  down there and spread the word about Move  to Amend. Take our petitions and materials with you and connect our efforts. The democracy   movement is in the streets. We need to bring that movement into the Constitution, too.


2011 started with the Arab Spring and the uprisings in Madison, WI, and other state capitals, and the revolt will continue through the Autumn in DC, NY, and other sites of occupation!

Move to Amend will be there.


In solidarity,


Ben Manski, Lisa Graves, Laura Bonham, George Friday,
David Cobb, and Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap

Move to Amend Executive Team

Move to Amend
P.O. Box 260217
Madison, WI 53726-0217
United States
End Corporate Rule. Legalize Democracy. Move to Amend.
 



Saturday, October 1, 2011

York PC 112: The "Occupy Wall Street" Movement Goes Nation-Wide, Lands In Chicago...

The movement has been perceived as "loose, dis-jointed, un-organized." I have to wonder if that's because the attack on the Middle Class has been waged on so many fronts for so long, that it can't be summed up in a quick slogan, or in three or four bullet-points.

Starting out in New York City's Wall Street district, this loose confederation of fed-up Progressive organizations, trade unions, and financially-distraught individuals seeing little hope for their futures has caught a common meme and started gaining big legs.

NYPD helped it along, in a major way by way of a flashy bit of police brutality, when an NYPD commander with an angry, sneering face decided to walk up and mace several young women who were already penned-up in police mesh and just trying be heard verbally. In this age of video-everywhere, numerous takes on the scene captured it from multiple angles, and also instances of cops bashing protesters heads into parked cars, kneeing their necks on the hard pavement, and punching them in the face. A simple search of "Occupy Wall Street" on YouTube, and you'll be treated to a continuous stream of videos that make a total mockery of civil rights and freedom of speech in modern America.

In all, I think what this protest is most about summed up best as "we demand a fair, equal,  and sustainable future." The protesters are looking to remove corporate influence on the nation's politicians, and to get the government working for the people. They will talk about numerous issues Washington has failed to address, but the root of it all is great wealth buying the political process off at the expense of the vast majority.

The protest is now taking place in cities around the country 24 hours per day, seven days per week, including a protest in Chicago at the Federal Reserve bank branch. You can find information at http://occupychi.org/ and in more detail on Twitter under the hash tags (read "search terms") #occupychi and #occupychicago.

The protesters are facing chilly weather, rain, and more, and are in need of jackets, clothing, moral support, and more protesters. Here is a list of what the Chicago protesters are in need of currently: http://occupychi.org/supplies-needed/

A list of cities around the country and across the globe with occupation protests follows, sourced from the movement's hub page:


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